Odd file behavior - "write-protected"

[coldspring]

I have a file that is on a shared drive that is served up by FileMaker Pro. The other night I was working on it and the VPN connection went down. When I tried to open it I got the "FileMaker is performing a consistency check" message, then I got an error that the file is write-protected and can't be accessed.

The only item I could find on the FileMaker support site was something regarding dragging databases to your local hard drive but that seemed to apply only to sample files that came with FM 5.5.

I am using FM6 with FMS5.5...Thanks

Version: v6.x

Platform: Windows XP

[Vaughan]

"... a file that is on a shared drive"

This is the *worst* way to share FMP databases. Sooner or later they become corrupted. FMP issues a warning when opening a file on a shared volume, but most people ignore it.

Possibly the problem was that two or more people tried to open the file at the same time. At best there may just be OS-level record locking problems or at worst the file could be damaged to a greater or lesser degree. Start looking for backups now. You might have to get the system admin to work on the files locally (from the console) rather than remotely.

Shared files should be set up on a FM Host computer running either FMP or FM Server. Yes I know that sounds overkill, but once set up a FM Server can host over a hundred files, back them up regularly, and keep on humming along sweetly for years without complaint.

[coldspring]

Vaughan -

The files are hosted by FileMaker Server. They are residing on a separate central server. On that same server are other files (Excel, Word, etc.) that are shared throughout the network.

Should we have a separate box for FM? Or just host/serve the files via FileMaker Server...Thanks

[Vaughan]

I'm glad the files are being hosted correctly.

Running FMS and file sharing on the same box is not optimal, but if it's working for you then keep going.

Just make *very* sure that nobody can access the FMP databases through a network drive as well as through FMS. If somebody has managed to open the FMP database directly through file sharing while it has been hosted in FMP then it may be toast.

[coldspring]

Vaughan -

I hate to be pest but I need futher advice on this. The same situation just happened with another file. My hypothesis is that the automatic backup on the server may have started while I was in the file (I am in California, the server is in Texas). As a result, the file was set to "read only".

Is this possible? If so, is there a place to go and reset the file so it is not "read only"?

Thanks and apologies for my ignorance.

[Vaughan]

Oh #$%^ you're using an automated backup program to backup the FMP files! That's the problem.

The FMP files are open in FM Server and actively being written to. Any copy you make of "live" hosted files will be damaged anyway to a greater or lesser degree depending on how recently the cache was flushed among other things.

You need to exclude the hosted FMP files from the backup program. Leave them completely alone.

In FM Server create a schedule to backup the databases to a location on the hard disk. (During the scheduled backup FMS pauses database activity, flushes the cache, makes a copy of the files then resumes hosting them.)

Get your program to backup these backed-up FMP files.

[coldspring]

Got it...Thanks!